Princess Charlotte's return to nature goes viral

Princess Charlotte's encounter with a virus was praised by fans after the dynamic of Prince William and Princess Kate's young family was highlighted in a video marking the end of Kate's chemotherapy treatment.

Kensington Palace released a video update from the princess on her cancer battle on September 9.

After announcing she had been diagnosed with cancer in March, Kate began what she called “preventive chemotherapy.” In the video update, the Queen said this was now complete and she was focused on her recovery and staying “cancer-free.”

The three-minute film features stylized footage of Kate, shot in August in Norfolk, England, where the Welsh country house Anmer Hall is located. The footage also features William and the couple's three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

Charlotte, the couple's only daughter born in 2015, has gained a growing fan base among royal watchers in recent years as she has become a more visible part of the monarchy at official events.

In Kate's update, the moment the young queen encountered a caterpillar during a family picnic was captured on video by videographer Will Warr.

Uploaded on September 10 by TikTok user teamwalesfamily, the clips showing the interaction with the insect went viral, having been viewed over 350,000 times on the platform.

The post begins with a clip showing Prince William carefully trying to remove something from Charlotte's hair while the Wales family is gathered on a blanket under a tree in the grounds of Anmer Hall.

After using a playing card to retrieve a small black caterpillar from his daughter's hair, the prince presented it to her for inspection, whereupon she recoiled in mock horror.

Another clip shows Kate putting her arm around Charlotte as if she wanted to comfort her.

The TikTok post, captioned “A caterpillar in Charlotte's hair! But everything's OK!”, has received over 22,000 likes and numerous comments, many of which praised the princess for keeping her composure during her retreat into nature.

“The children are very happy and are definitely loved. Beautiful family,” wrote one user.

“I love the bond between Catherine and Charlotte. I wish I had been closer to my mum when I was younger,” posted another, adding, “I would cry if there was a caterpillar in my hair.”

James Crawford-Smith is NewsweekRoyal Reporter based in London. You can you can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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